Start of NFL Draft sets new viewership record

With sports fans starved for live content amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the first round of the 2020 National Football League Draft more than delivered on bullish expectations and set a new event viewership record.

The start of the Draft averaged 15.6m viewers across ESPN, ABC, the NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, and digital channels, smashing the previous high of 12.4m viewers set in 2014. The 15.6m viewership figure was also 37 per cent higher than the start of the 2019 Draft.

The coverage of the Draft’s first round peaked at 19.6m viewers between 8:45 p.m.-9 p.m. Eastern Time, not long after the Cincinnati Bengals selected Louisiana State University quarterback Joe Burrow with the first overall pick.

“The theme of hope is always prevalent in the NFL, especially with regard to the Draft,” Goodell said. “In 2020, that’s especially true.”

Fueled in part by the Bengals holding that top pick, the state of Ohio dominated the local-market ratings for the Draft. State capital Columbus was the top individual market, posting an average 16.7 rating, followed closely by fellow Buckeye State markets Cleveland and Cincinnati.

The slew of media-rights deals agreed for the Korean K League ahead of its recent restart did not generate large revenues for international distributor Sportradar. But the league hopes to capitalise, in the years to come, on the boost to its profile, as one of the first competitions to restart after Covid-19-related shutdowns.

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